“A colourful house, a monkey, and a horse” – Pippi Longstocking isn't the only one with these mascots; these two animal friends also feature in the mascot history of Hannover 96. The club has been supported by many different animals in the past, including a monkey and a horse.
A German Shepherd was the first character to support the Lower Saxony team from the sidelines. His successor was somewhat smaller and named „Popo.“ „Popo“ was a capuchin monkey kept on a leash – and was one of the few of his kind to experience the football action so closely. To complete the Pippi Longstocking analogy, a pony accompanied the 96ers in the 1970s and was also the last real animal to be used as an atmosphere-booster in the Hannover stadium. With the advent of today’s mascots, the wire man „VicTOR“ and the wolf „Hanno“ further energised the fans and the team.
Since 2013, „EDDI“ – a brown bloodhound – has been the mascot of Hannover 96. He has already experienced promotions and relegations – and this season, he follows every home game from close range.
Only one defeat in the last five games shows why Christian Titz’s team is currently competing at the top of the table. Eight points from the last five games is a respectable return for „Die Roten“ (The Reds), especially considering they faced two top-five teams, Schalke and Elversberg. With 50 points in the league so far, the team from Lower Saxony sits in fifth place, level on points with Darmstadt. Here’s the record from the last five games:
| Match | Result | Points |
| SV Elversberg (H) | 1:1 | 1 |
| Eintracht Braunschweig (H) | 1:0 | 3 |
| FC Schalke 04 (A) | 2:2 | 1 |
| SpVgg Greuther Fürth (H) | 1:2 | 0 |
| DSC Arminia Bielefeld (A) | 1:0 | 3 |
| Top Scorer | Top Assists |
| Benjamin Källman – 13 Goals | Noel Aseko – 6 Assists |
| Daisuke Yokota – 4 Goals | Maurice Neubauer – 4 Assists |
| Noel Aseko – 3 Goals | Enzo Leopold – 4 Assists |
| Enzo Leopold – 3 Goals | Mustapha Bundu – 3 Assists |
| Hayate Matsuda – 3 Goals | Maik Nawrocki – 3 Assists |
Christian Titz
Head coach of Hannover 96Tiki-taka, long balls, counter-attacking play, or the simple one-two pass. All these tactics require one thing: getting the ball safely from one player to another! Put simply: passing. And Hannover 96’s pass completion rate is an excellent indicator. 85.9 percent of all passes from Titz’s team find their target – the best in the league. Hannover also enjoys a high percentage of possession (56.3 percent), more than any other team in the league.
A quick one-two, a dribble through three opponents, to the edge of the penalty area, and a shot – the ball flies towards the far corner, shouts of „Goal!“ erupt, but the ball doesn’t go in. Nahuel Noll makes another save, as he has so often this season. He has already kept nine clean sheets this campaign, consistently proving himself a reliable last line of defence for his team. Only three other goalkeepers have managed more clean sheets this season.
The 23-year-old spent his youth at 1860 Munich and TSG Hoffenheim. He is still under contract with the latter and is currently on loan at Hannover 96. He previously gained considerable second-division experience last season, also on loan at Greuther Fürth. Noll’s future in the summer remains uncertain, but his focus is currently on Hannover. “I feel very comfortable in Hanover and am 100 percent focused on the job here. And once we’ve all done our jobs and played the season, then we can talk about everything in the summer,” Noll explained in an interview with the Bild newspaper.
The goalkeeper is now not only shining between the posts, but also with the ball at his feet. It’s clear that he’s involved in the team’s build-up play. Nevertheless, he’s not afraid to send the ball on a long, long run. He probably fondly remembers the first-half match against Bielefeld: Hannover 96 not only won, but also benefited from an assist by Noll that led to the equaliser. Only one other goalkeeper has managed an assist this season: Marcel Schuhen. The two will face each other in the match on Saturday (April 11th/8:30pm).
From the warm opening ceremony to the awards ceremony: The German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt offered exciting games, many wonderful encounters and a well-deserved German champion in the Hesse selection, which also included players from the SV 98 ID team.
The first dates for SV 98's preparations for the 2026/27 second division season have been set: On June 25th, the professional team will return to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor to undergo various medical tests and performance diagnostics. The first team training session will take place on June 27th in the Odenwald region.
Who will SV Darmstadt 98 face in the first round of the DFB Cup? This question will be answered this coming Saturday (June 6th). The draw for the first round will be broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau. We'll be taking a look and providing you with all the information. We'll also be celebrating with the fan team's survival in the Kreisklasse B (eighth tier) and taking a look across the border to Texas in the USA. All this and more for you in "Lilies Across the Board" on Wednesday.
Fraser Hornby's time at Darmstadt 98 comes to an end after three years. The Scottish attacking midfielder is moving to VfL Wolfsburg. Both clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee confidential.
An eight-goal thriller to close out the season. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team took to the pitch one last time this season on Saturday (May 30th) – away against FC Eddersheim. The young Lilies secured a 5-3 victory in Eddersheim, finishing the 2025/26 Hessenliga season in eleventh place. Even more remarkable, however, was the U21's run at the end of the season: the Blue and Whites won their last five matches, scoring an impressive 22 goals in the process.
Barcelona, Spain. A global city right on the Mediterranean. Over 1.7 million people live here. And one of them is Clemens Riedel. The 22-year-old former Darmstadt player moved from SV 98 to Espanyol Barcelona last summer – from youth academy to professional in the Spanish first division. We spoke with Riedel about his first year in Barcelona, the past season, and his still close ties to Darmstadt.
SV 98 can continue to rely on the services of Fabian Nürnberger. The Lilies have extended the expiring contract with the Bulgarian international.
Grayson Dettoni will continue to wear the SV 98 jersey. The Lilies have exercised their option to buy the defender, who was previously on loan from FC Bayern Munich.
The German Football Championship for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) kicks off on Sunday – and it's taking place in Darmstadt's Bürgerpark! Last week, the Darmstadt 98ers' home ground offered a different kind of sporting event: a karate demonstration. We also take a look at the opponents for the new season and celebrate two birthdays this week. You'll find all this and much more about Darmstadt 98 in our usual "Lilies Across the Board".
„I’m proud of you,“ were the words of U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt to the team after they secured their place in the Hessenliga. On Saturday (May 23rd), SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team had the chance to stay in the league against Turabdin Babylon Pohlheim – and they seized it impressively! The young Lilies delivered a convincing 5-1 goal fest, but at the same time still needed help from other teams to guarantee their survival. However, because their direct rivals, CSC 03 Kassel, narrowly lost in Stadtallendorf, the U21 team was finally able to celebrate.
For the fourth time, the Haftpflichtkasse insurance company and SV Darmstadt 98 have jointly awarded four clubs with the Volunteer Award. The award ceremony, including the presentation of the checks, took place last Sunday (May 17th) before the home game against SC Paderborn at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. The Volunteer Award, established in 2023 by the Haftpflichtkasse and SV Darmstadt 98, aims to strengthen volunteer engagement and promote outstanding projects.
